Surviving Injuries Series #4 ~ Attitude!

Well first of all....I don't know if you've noticed or not....but attitude has a lot to do with everything! Our attitude matters in how we handle things at home, school, work, with our families and friends, especially how we handle our weight loss and fitness and then importantly how we handle injuries.

Now I've been all over the place with this!! When I got my knee injury, I was told by the physical therapy tech that I would never row or run. My attitude was..."Oh yeah? Watch me!!" and I did it! Then I got the chest wall contusion...that was just a blip on my radar. Kind of a nuisance mostly.  Then my knee started acting up again, kind of worrisome, but I kept pushing through. Then it was the tennis elbow injury. This injury kind of set me back. I'm like what the fig...Will I ever get a break? I could tell then, that my attitude was slowly going in the dumper.

Then came September...yet another injury...and frankly the depression set in. All the other injuries, I was sure that I would heal from and carry on. But for some reason, I thought this was the nail in my coffin ~ literally! I thought...."I've got back problems now....I'll never heal.....it hurts too much to do what I need to do....I've got to stop my journey....there is no hope". PATHETIC I know!!

But you know something. I heard this statement from a radio program of this young woman who was born without arms. She was a determined little thing. I did not hear her whole story, but do you know that she does all kinds of things. She is even a pilot....she flies airplanes...without arms!!! Now she's traveling the world telling her story. She's amazing! 

One statement I heard from her that helped change my attitude about my situation....Here it is.....

"It's our choice to use what we are given....and we have the choice to use it in a positive way!"

It's our choice. It is my choice to pick myself up and do what I can and use this situation in a positive way. 

That one statement helped snap me out of my depression and I changed my attitude.

This ole back problem is not holding me back!! I am not quitting my plan and I am moving forward. I'm pushing through!!!

How about you....are you pushing through?

Next up ~ Strengthening my body!!

Keep focused!

Surviving Injuries Series #3 ~ Adjustments

Obviously with injuries...you just have to take the time to recover. And when you are older...it takes longer....At least that what I seem to be experiencing lately!

So while I'm waiting...I just did not give up and not continue on with my journey. Nope!! I had to make adjustments.

There were days when I could only do my physical therapy exercises because of the pain. I could not beat myself up for that, that's all I could do. Then there were days I could walk and I did it. I have been able to lift weights and jump rope...on a good day. I do what I can!! But I've not given up!

I am not very organized with my blog...unfortunately, because I wanted to reference back to a post (but could not find it) about this person that I noticed in the gym. All I saw was a silhouette of a person in a darkened cycle room. This person was peddling with all their might. When I got closer, I realized it was a woman on the bike and she had her hand in a cast. You see this athlete, did not let her injury stop her. No she just made an adjustment.  She pushed through!

The other thing that needed to be done was I needed to reduce my calorie intake. Seems I could not have the same calories as I did when I was doing higher activity. I had to shave off about 300 calories just to stay even. Fortunately I have not gained anything during this injury period. I have not lost any either.....

Each day...if I allow myself to rest, adjust my exercise plan and lower my calories I have a little success. I'm feeling better and getting stronger!!!

Next up Attitude.....How to push through!!!!

Stay focused!!!!

Surviving Injuries Series #2 - Listen to your Body!

If your are like me, you hear the cry of everyone else's needs before you hear your own. A lot of how I get myself into trouble is I don't hear the first pang of pain. No I hear it when my body says, "I'm not going anywhere!!" This even happens with illness. I feel a sore throat coming on and I just keep pushing until it's the full blown in the bed, sick for 3 days deal.

When what I should have done is to listen to my body and taken care of myself....EARLY and before it blows into a real / major problem.

So when my back first started hurting....I got my first jolts of pain...but I did not listen...I just kept pushing through my workout. Then after that it was a flurry of activity to get ready for camping. So here I have a small pain in my back and I'm lifting heavy boxes, bending, twisting and doing everything I should not have been doing. Then the whole week, I'm lifting and toting my grand babies everywhere....ALL GOOD THINGS....BUT WHAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IS TAKING CARE OF MYSELF AND RESTING!!

The neglect of myself has turn into almost 2 months of pain and physical therapy. And a big fat delay in my fitness program.

Right now I don't think it was worth it. A couple days and maybe even a week of rest most likely would have helped me a ton!! I know what I did do, pushing through or more like bull heading my way through, did not help me!

So I'm learning to listen to my body.

I'm even starting to think about the following.....

• Got a headache ~ Take an aspirin
• Got a cut - Put on a band aid
• Sore tooth ~ Go to the dentist
• Need a hair cut & color ~ Get it done!
• Need clothes & shoes ~ go shopping!
• Hungry? ~ Eat something
• Full? ~ Stop eating!

I need to keep asking myself "Do you have a need? If so, do something to take care of it". Looks like I need to listen to more than just my body. I need to learn, if I have a need.....I can and should take care of it right away. No more putting myself on the back burner. I'm important and deserve to be taken care of!

LISTEN!!

How about you do you listen to your needs? Do you do something about them?

Next up discipline & attitude!

Keep focused!

Well Duh!

Can not help myself. I will not be posting the next item in my Surviving Injuries Series ~ Listen to your body! This will follow shortly....

What I want to talk about today....because this seems pressing to me!

...is that....

It has come to my attention...that if I keep doing the same thing over and over....

and then....

I keep getting the same results.....

then....

I know it's coming.....

then it seems quite obvious that....

what I'm doing....

IS NOT WORKING!!

That's where the DUH comes in!!!

So what this means to me is....

• Obviously the calories that I'm taking in are too many and I don't have enough variety.
• Obviously all of the exercise I'm doing is not enough....not hard enough...
• Obviously my attitude it not on track

Things are not work!!!

OBVIOUSLY!!

What does that mean?

I NEED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY!!

DUH!!!

So that's what I'm going to do.

More to follow...

Keep focused!!!

Surviving Injuries Series #1 ~ Don't Quit!!!

Injuries happen....They just do. For me prior to January 1, 2010, if I got an injury I would quit any health and fitness program I was in. I tend to get a lot of injuries. Prior to my focus on my health and fitness I had shin splints, leg cramps, feet problems, back problems, and of course the Hemi Facial problem. Plus all kinds of ailments and pains. So each time something would happen I would quit my program.

Since I've started my health and fitness program, that wonderful day in 2010, I have still experienced some injuries......

March 2010 ~ Knee Injury...Chest wall Contusion...& Feet Problems....
November 2010 ~ Tennis Elbow...
December 2010 ~ Back Pain...
September 2011 ~ Back Pain...

The good thing is...I have not quit!! I'm still here and I'm fighting to get well!!

A while back my trainer said, "You know, all athletes get injuries." I was really taken back by that, first of all, because she thought "I" was an athlete! And second of all, I did not realize that this happens to athletes. Never thought about it.

It even happen to the greatest well trained and fit athletes of all times. So I was wondering who is the greatest athlete and what happened to them ~ what kind of injuries did they suffer?   According to Greatest athletes of all times, Michael Jordan is their number 1 pick. According to their source and after doing some research, I found that Michael broke his foot the 2nd year into his 18 year basketball career.

If this athlete would have quit because of that injury, he would not have been able to go on to do...

NBA

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009
• 6-time NBA champion: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 (all with Chicago Bulls)

• 6 NBA Finals appearances: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998

• 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998^[1][2]
• 10-time scoring champion: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[3]
• 3-time steals leader: 1988, 1990, 1993
• 3-time minutes leader: 1987, 1988, 1989
• 14-time NBA All-Star: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003^[4]
• 3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 1988, 1996, 1998^[5]
• 6-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[6]
• 1-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 1987-88^[7]
• 11-time All-NBA selection:

• First team: 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[8][9]
• Second team: 1985^[8][9]

• 9-time All-Defensive selection:

• First team: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998^[10][11]

• NBA All-Rookie selection:

• First team: 1985^[12][13]

• NBA Rookie of the Year: 1985^[14]
• 2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion: 1987, 1988^[15]

• Runner-up in 1985

• 7-time The Sporting News Most Valuable Player: 1987-88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
• Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year: 1991
• Ranked #1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 75 Players of All-time
• Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century
• Selected in 1996 as one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History"
• Selected in 1996 as member of two of the "Top 10 Teams in NBA History"

• 1991-92 Chicago Bulls (67–15; .817)
• 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72–10; .878)

[edit]Olympics

• Two Olympic gold medals - USA: 1984, 1992

This is to only name a few things he did. I also think he played baseball and probably accomplished many other things!!

WHAT IF HE HAD QUIT????


What if I quit now? Geez I have had way more injuries than him. I think the only other thing, that I could find quickly, is that he suffered from a knee injury (which I don't doubt).

Thank goodness he did not quit!!!

Thank goodness I'm not going to quit either....Because even though, I may not be the athlete that Michael is, I still have some things that I need to do and accomplish. If I quit, I will never get there.

So I am fighting to survive this injury.

Next in the Series ~ Listen to your body!

Keep focused!!

Surviving Injuries Series

Look forward to My Surviving Injuries Series ~ ~ coming soon to your computer.

Keep up the great work and as always.....Stay Focused!!!!

Pushing through.....

Even though......

Whatever it is for me and for you.....we need to push through!

This morning I got up...not prepare for the day or the week. I don't really feel good and my back is smarting (for those too young....it means it hurts like heck!!!) My house is a mess, I have part of my fall decorations up. My check book is a mess and I have bills to pay. There is no food in the house...we are almost out of toilet paper - now that is a near emergency!!! I have invitations to make....about 30 to go! I have daffodil bulbs and pansy's to plant.....Plus I need to work, exercise, take care of my family and myself...all the while not feeling 100%....with a bad back and I have a cold coming on.

Whew!! I'm tired just thinking about all of this.

Wah wah wah....that's all I hear!

But you know what? None of that matters, because I'm still pushing through! I've decided to have a fabulous attitude about all of this busyness. I guess this all means I'm alive....I've got things to do and people to take care of. I have purpose and exciting things to look forward to. This is awesome!!!!

So for today, I'm planning ahead and I'm pushing to get things done, with joy! I'm going to get stuff done, I'm going to have a great food day and a kick butt exercise day. I can't wait!!!

I can do this!!!

How about you...Are you pushing through?

Keep focused!